Women in the United States House of Representatives
Women have served in the United States House of Representatives since the 1917 entrance of Mary Ladd McCumber from Ohio, a member of the Progressive Party. Over 300 (325) women have since served as U.S. Representatives. As of November 2019, there are 101 women in the U.S. House of Representatives (not counting four female territorial delegates), making women 23.2% of the total of U.S. Representatives. Of the 325 women in the US House, 222 have been Democrats (four from U.S. territories), and 103 have been Republicans (two from U.S. territories), one of whom was at first politically independent. Women have been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from 46 of the 50 states. The states that have not elected a woman to the U.S. House of Representatives are Alaska, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Vermont—though Alaska, Mississippi, and North Dakota have elected women to the United States Senate. Women have also been sent to congress from 5 of the 6 territories of the United States; the only Territory that has not sent a woman to the U.S. House of Representatives is the Northern Mariana Islands. California has elected more women to Congress than any other state, with 41 U.S. Representatives elected since 1923. To date, no woman has ever been a former senator, been elected to represent more than one state in non-consecutive elections, switched parties, or served as a third party member in her career, though one was elected as an Independent. Firsts entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1917 as the first woman in Congress.]] , became the first African-American woman and first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1945.]] Mary Ladd McCumber entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1917 as the first woman in either chamber of Congress. In 1923, Susan Glass became the first woman to defeat an incumbent congressman. Julia Hahn Morse entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1925 as the first Jewish woman in either chamber of Congress. Minnie Bankhead Oliver, also entering the U.S. House of Representatives in 1925, became the first Republican woman in the house. (Republican Helen Poindexter had been sworn in the United States Senate two years earlier). Hattie Armstrong Daniels, U.S. House of Representatives in 1945 as the first woman of color and the first African-American woman in either chamber of Congress. U.S. Representative Vera Buchanan died in 1956, making her the first woman in either chamber to die in office. U.S. Representative Charlotte Reid became the first woman to wear pants in the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate in 1969. Shirley Chisholm entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1969 as the first African-American woman in either chamber of Congress. In 1973, U.S. Representative Yvonne Brathwaite Burke became the first member of the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate to give birth while in office, and she was the first person to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, with the birth of her daughter Autumn. The gym of the U.S. House of Representatives (with the exception of its swimming pool) first opened to women in 1985, the gym having previously been male-only. The swimming pool opened to women in 2009, the pool having previously been male-only. Barbara Vucanovich entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1983 as the first Latina in either chamber of Congress.Tammy Baldwin entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999 as the first openly gay woman in either chamber of Congress. Nancy Pelosi became the first female House Minority Whip in 2002. She went on to become the first and only to date female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 2007. Also in 2007, Mazie Hirono entered the U.S. House of Representatives as the first female Buddhist in either chamber of Congress. In 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives got its first women's bathroom near the chamber (Room H-211 of the U.S. Capitol). Tulsi Gabbard entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013 as the first Hindu person in either chamber of Congress. Also in 2013, Kyrsten Sinema entered the U.S. House of Representatives as the first openly bisexual woman in either chamber of Congress. In the 2018 general elections, there was a wave of firsts elected to the United States House of Representatives for the 116th Congress. A record-breaking 103 women were elected or re-elected into the United States House of Representatives, causing many to call it the "Year of the Woman". Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women ever elected to either house of Congress, with Tlaib the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress and Omar the first Somali American of either sex to be elected. Also in this election, Angie Craig became the first lesbian mother to be elected to Congress. Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland became the first Native American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Widow's succession Julia Hahn Morse was the first woman elected to her husband's seat in Congress, which is sometimes known as the widow's succession. 38 widows have won their husbands' seats in the House, and eight in the Senate. The only current example is Representative Doris Matsui of California. The most successful example is Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who served a total of 32 years in both houses and became the first woman elected to both the House and the Senate. She began the end of McCarthyism with a famous speech, "The Declaration of Conscience", became the first major-party female presidential candidate and the first woman to receive votes at a national nominating convention, and was the first (and highest ranking to date) woman to enter the Republican Party Senate leadership (in the third-highest post of Chairwoman of the Senate Republican Conference). The first woman elected to Congress, Mary Ladd McCumber, was similarly elected to her father's seat. Number of women Number of women in the United States House of Representatives and Senate by Congress Number of women in the United States House of Representatives by party Notes: "% of party" is taken from voting members at the beginning of the Congress, while numbers and "% of women" include all female House members of the given Congress Percentage of women by party and year List of female members This is a complete list of women who have served as U.S. Representatives or delegates of the United States House of Representatives, ordered by seniority. Members are grouped by the apportionment period during which such member commenced serving. This list includes women who served in the past and who continue to serve in the present. Female members whose service began between ''1917 and 1932 Female members whose service began between 1933 and 1942 Female members whose service began between 1943 and 1952 Female members whose service began between 1953 and 1962 Female members whose service began between 1963 and 1972 Female members whose service began between 1973 and 1982 Female members whose service began between 1983 and 1992 Female members whose service began between 1993 and 2002 Female members whose service began between 2003 and 2012 Female members whose service began between 2013 and present Pregnancies There have been ten female members of the House of Representatives who were pregnant and gave birth at least once during their tenure (two members three times). See also * Women in the United States government * Women in the United States Senate * List of female state governors in the United States References External links * Women in Congress — Companion site to book produced by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives * Associated Press. "Husbands' deaths often propel widows to office". Columbia Daily Tribune, January 22, 2005. Retrieved February 15, 2005. (alternate source, via journalstar.com) * Maurer, Elizabeth. "Legislating History: 100 Years of Women in Congress". National Women's History Museum. 2017. Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives House of Representatives United States House of Representatives